‘Dubious RTÉ doc lacking in balance’
Ex-justice minister slates documentary on killings
FORMER justice minister Charlie Flanagan has written to RTÉ over the documentary Unquiet Graves, claiming that it relied on the ‘dubious’ testimony of a convicted murderer.
The documentary aired on RTÉ t wo weeks ago and detailed how the Ulster loyalist Glenanne gang murdered more than 120 innocent civilians in the North in collusion with members of the British police and military regiments.
The Laois- Offaly TD recently wrote to RTÉ to raise his concerns about it, as well as seeking answers to a number of questions he had.
Speaking to Newstalk yesterday, Mr Flanagan said: ‘The essence of the programme was based on the testimony and affidavit of a guy called John Weir who himself was a convicted murderer, who had motives that – to my mind – were somewhat dubious.’
Mr Flanagan said he was concerned the documentary was based on the testimony of Mr Weir, whom he described as a character who has been ‘outside of this jurisdiction for quite some time’ and whose ‘evidence, to my mind, is fundamentally questionable’.
He said he did not believe the production team showed objectivity. ‘I don’t believe they were fairminded, I don’t believe there was balance,’ the TD added.
He continued: ‘My understanding was... a decision was made not to transmit the programme. So a year later, there was a change in strategy on the part of RTÉ.’
The last concern he raised was about how the project was funded, saying it could have cost approximately €400,000 to produce.
The former minister remarked: ‘I was a solicitor before I entered politics. If somebody came into my office with a bag of money and said, “I want to buy a house”, the issue would not so much be the purchase of the house, but... where the money came from.’
Mr Flanagan said he hopes RTÉ can address his concerns, adding he has not yet made a complaint to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. He has written to Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan about his concerns.
In a statement yesterday, RTÉ said Unquiet Graves was subject to editorial review within RTÉ prior to broadcast, including by its own Editorial Standards Board. ‘ The programme draws on a number of sources, including an interview with John Weir,’ it said.
‘Mr Weir’s evidence has previously been assessed by An Garda
‘I don’t believe they were fair-minded’
Síochána and [former Supreme Court judge] Mr Justice [Henry] Barron, among others.’
On the issue of budgets, it said: ‘RTÉ has no oversight of production budgets on acquired programmes, as our engagement with producers and/ or distributors begins when the programme has already been completed. RTÉ acquires these productions on the basis of an editorial judgment and their suitability for transmission.’